The Blessing of Herbs and Fruits for the Assumption - Part 2 of 2

Tridentine Community News (August 14, 2011):

Below we present the conclusion of the Blessing of Herbs and Fruits for the Feast of the Assumption, which will be conducted today at both St. Josaphat and Assumption Churches:

Let us pray.
O God, by Moses, Thy servant, Thou didst command the children of Israel to carry their sheaves of new grain to the priests for a blessing, to pluck the finest fruits of the orchards, and to make merry before Thee, the Lord their God. Hear Thou our supplications, and bestow blessings + in abundance upon us and upon these bundles of new grain, new herbs, and this assortment of produce which we gratefully present to Thee on this festival – blessing + them in Thy name. Grant that men, cattle, sheep, and beasts of burden find in them a remedy against sickness, pestilence, sores, injuries, spells, against the bites of serpents and other poisonous animals. May these blessed objects act as a protection against diabolical mockeries, cunnings, and deceptions wherever they are kept, carried, or other disposition made of them. And through the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Assumption we celebrate, may we likewise, laden with sheaves of good works, deserve to be lifted up to heaven. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
℟. Amen.
Let us pray.
O God, Who on this day hast raised up to heavenly heights the rod of Jesse, the mother of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, that through her prayers and patronage Thou mightest communicate to our mortal nature the Fruit of her womb, Thy same Son; we pray that we may use these fruits of the soil for our temporal and eternal welfare – the power of Thy Son and the patronage of His glorious mother assisting us. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
℟. Amen.
And may the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit come upon these creatures, and remain for all time.
℟. Amen.

[They are sprinkled with holy water and incensed.]

Jeffrey Tucker & Arlene Oost-Zinner
To Visit Assumption Church on August 28

Two of North America’s most prominent advocates of traditional sacred music will be paying a visit to our region.

Jeffrey Tucker and Arlene Oost-Zinner of the Church Music Association of America will be visiting – and singing with – the choir at Windsor’s Assumption Church on Sunday, August 28 at the 2:00 PM Extraordinary Form Mass. The CMAA is North America’s oldest and largest organization promoting the traditional repertoire of sacred music in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of Holy Mass.

The prior day, Saturday, August 27, the duo will be leading a Gregorian Chant workshop at East Lansing’s St. Thomas Aquinas Church, with a focus on singing English Propers and the new translation of the Ordinary Form of Mass.

Jeffrey is the editor of Sacred Music magazine, the webmaster of musicasacra.com, and the author of the blog chantcafe.com. He is one of the most prominent advocates in the English speaking world for the singing of the Propers at the Ordinary Form of Holy Mass, both from the original Latin Graduále Románum and from English translations. He led the CMAA’s efforts to request reasonable permission from the International Commission on English in the Liturgy for composers and others to have access to the copyrighted texts of the new translation of the Ordinary Form. He was one of the prime movers behind the CMAA’s new hymnal, The Parish Book of Chant, and the editor of Simple English Propers, a new book which offers the Propers of the Ordinary Form set to traditional Gregorian Chant tones (melodies). He is the author of several books, among them Sing Like a Catholic. Arlene is a published composer of sacred music, a music instructor, and co-director with Jeffrey of the St. Cecilia Schola at St. Michael Church in Auburn, Alabama, which sings at regular Extraordinary and Ordinary Form Masses in the area. The pair co-administers a growing number of chant workshops and Sacred Music Colloquia around the U.S. We are honored that they will be making time in their schedule to see what the buzz is about with the Tridentine Mass choir at Assumption Church, the only Extraordinary Form Mass site in metro Detroit and Windsor to offer a full professional choir almost every Sunday of the year.

All are invited to meet Arlene and Jeffrey after Mass on the 28th.

Additional Masses Scheduled in Lapeer

This column has previously reported on the initiation of Extraordinary Form Masses at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer, Michigan, at the initiative of Associate Pastor Fr. Clement Suhy, OSB. The parish has announced that Tridentine Masses will be held on Sunday, August 28 and Sunday, September 25 at 12:30 PM; and every Thursday at 8:45 AM.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 08/15 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Tue. 08/16 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for August 14, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]